mcmanus



( 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'. W. N. MGMANUS. TOY RAGE TRACK.

No. 416,341. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

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TOY RACE TRACK.

Patented Dec. 3,, 1889.

N. FETERS Mo-Lhbognp un Washington: D. C.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WVILLIAM N. MCMANUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TOY RAC E-T RAC K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,341, dated December 8, 1889.

Application filed February 4, 1889. Serial No. 298,563. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. MGMANUS, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Toy Race-Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toy race-tracks of the character set forth in United States Letters Patent granted to WVm. N. McManus, October 16, 1888, No. 391,262, in which anumber of miniature figures are connected with a driving mechanism to carry them abouta circular race-track a number of times and then stop, and thereby cause the figures to be projected forward to the finish-line by an impulse.

In the class of devices above mentioned the miniature figures are mounted on arms connected to a central shaft driven by a suit able Inechanismas, for example, a clockwork mechanismwhich is held in locked position by a suitable releasing-pawl or tripping-pin, adapted to be operated by a counterbalanced coin-operating tilting lever. The lower open end of a coin-chute is located above one end of the coin-operated tilting lever. Upon a coin being deposited in the chute it slides down the latter, strikes against one end of the coin-operating tilting lever, and by its weight causes the latter to be tilted, thereby moving the pawl or trippingpin out of locked engagement with the clockwork mechanism and releasing the latter. By this means the shaft on which the miniature figures are mounted is rotated, causing the figures to be carried about the race-track. The objection to this construction and arrangement of the coin operating and releasing mechanism is that only a short interval of time elapses during the movement of the figures about the racetrack and a very short race takes place, owing to the fact that the pawl or tripping-pin is held out of engage ment with the clock-work mechanism only for the brief interval of time during which the coin-operated lever is being tilted by the weight of the coin, the lever returning to its normal position upon the coin rolling off .of one end and the clock-work mechanism being thereby locked again.

In order that the clock-work mechanism may have a longer time to run after being released, I have provided the following-described improvement in the clock-work mechanism and the coin-operating automatic releasing and stopping mechanism of toy racetracks, as'hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in vertical section, with parts broken away, of the invention, partly showing the casing and the coin-chute. Fig. 2 is a detail view in vertical section of the invention with casing omitted; and Fig. 3 is an end view of the invention with casing omitted.

In the accompanying drawings is shown a clock-work mechanism, which in use for toy race-tracks is mounted in a casing the top of which forms the circular race-track.

1 indicates a vertical shaft journaled in the top of the frame 2, in which is mounted the clock-work mechanism 3, preferably operated by a drum 4, and a cord 5, having suspended thereon a weight. In lieu of the drum 4, cord 5, and the weight, (not shown,) a spring maybe employed. The miniature figures (not shown) are mounted on arms at the top of shaft 1, in the usual and Well-known manner in this class of devices. The lower end of the shaft 1 gears, by means of abevelwheel 6, with a bevel-wheel 7, mounted on a shaft 8, carrying a disk-wheel 9, with a notch or shoulder 10, and a toothed Wheel 11. meshing with a toothed wheel 12, rigidly mounted on the shaft 13 of drum 4. The drum 4 is held in wound position by a ratchet 14 thereon, and apawl 15,with spring 16, mounted on a toothed wheel 17, loosely mounted on the shaft 13. The drum 4, with its cord and weight, (not shown,) is wound up by means of a pinion 18, mounted on a key-shaft 19. The toothed wheel 17 meshes in turn with a pinion-wheel 20, rigidly mounted on a shaft 21, on which is secured a disk-wheel 22, formed with notches 23 in its periphery and with a large toothed wheel 22, mounted on a shaft 23.

24 indicates the coin operating tilting lever pivoted on a shaft 24', and having the coinreceivin'g plate 25 at one end located beneath the lower end of coin-chute 26, mounted in the casing 27, and an arm 28 at its other end ata right angle to the lever 24, and located above the disk-wheel 22 and adapted to engage its notches 23. The lever 24 is counterweighted to normally hold the coin-receiving plate up under the chute 2G by means of a weighted projection 29 on the arm 28. Adjacent to the pivoted point of lever 2% is apin 30, projecting through the depending forked end of a tripping-pawl 31, pivoted to a shaft 32, and having an L-shaped arm 33, adapted to engage the notch or shoulder 10 of disk-wheel 9.

The clock-work mechanism, hereinbefore described, is held in locked position by means of the L-shaped arm 33, engaging the diskwheel 9. In the movement of the disk-wheel the end of arm 28 rests on the periphery of said wheel until it drops into engagement with a notch 23 thereof, the distance on the periphery of disk wheel 22 between two notches 23 determining the length of the race.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The drum at being wound up, and the clock-work mechanism being held in looked position by the tripping or releasing pawl 31, engaging the disk 9, upon a coin being deposited in chute 2G and dropping onto the plate 25, the lever 2. will be tilted, thereby raising the counterweighted end of lever 2 and releasing pawl 31 from engagement with disk 9. The clock-work mechanism will there upon be set in motion by the action of the cord and weight (not shown) on drum 4, and the shaft 1 will berota-ted. By the raising of the counterweighted end of lever 24: its arm 28 is raised out of engagement with one of the notches 23, and as the disk-wheel 22 rotates, through the movement of the clockwork mechanism, the arm 28 rests on the pcriphery of disk-wheel 22 until a notch 23 is reached, when the weighted arm 28 drops into the notch 23, thereby throwing pawl 31 into engagement with disk-wheel 9 and looking the clock-work mechanism. It will thus be seen by the foregoing description that an efficient mechanism is provided whereby the duration of a race in toy race-tracks may be automatically controlled for different periods of time, according to the distance between the notches, the latter being so arranged that no two races will be of the same duration.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a toy race-track, the combination,with a clock-work mechanism geared with the vertical shaft on which are to be mounted the miniature racingfigures, of a notched or shouldered disk-wheel connected with the clock-work mechanism, and a disk wheel having notches in its periphery geared with the clock-work mechanism, a counter-weighted coinoperating tilting lever having an angular arm at one end adapted to engage the disk having notches in its periphery, and a tripping-pawl engaging the shouldered disk, substantially as described.

2. In a toy race-track, the combination, with the cloek-work mechanism 3, geared With the vertical shaft 1, for supporting miniature figures, of the disk-wheel 9, having notch or shoulder 10, mounted on a shaft geared with the clock-work mechanism, the disk-wheel 22, having notches 23 in its periphery and geared with the clock-work mechanism, and a tilting coin-operating counterweighted lever 2t, having the angular arm 28 at its weighted end adapted to engage the notches 23 of diskwhecl 22, and a forked tripping-pawl 31, engaging a pin on lever 2t and having an L-sl1aped arm adapted to engage the notched disk-wheel i), substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

\VILLIAM N. MCMANUS.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN J. McMANUs, SOPHIA T. McMANos. 

